Vivienne & Gee | Winter Wedding at Northbrook Park

Maybe I’m a little biased, since I was a winter bride, but I think a winter wedding is pretty much as romantic as it gets. Soft light, candle glow, cozy portraits… and this beauty from Aneta MAK has them all!

What’s a party without at least one balloon?

Says the bride, “There were three things I was really fussy about during planning: the flowers, the photos, and the dress. I must have tried on 30 but in the end my mum decided for me… it was the only dress that made her cry!”

Gee’s stepfather played the piano as Vivienne walked down the aisle, and the couple wrote their own vows.

“The day itself was just a whirlwind of amazingness in spite of sub zero temperatures, featuring red noses and the odd snowflake.”

“I wanted really delicate and soft flowers with a bit of ‘wild’ to them and loads and loads of candles. In the end the flowers were just exquisite. The ceremony and reception rooms were stunning and so romantic and that was all down to our florist, Jay Archer!”

Another fun detail? “Instead of a guest book, each table had blank cards with envelopes marked with the same number as the table, for our guests to write messages on. The idea is that we will open each numbered envelope on the corresponding wedding anniversary so we can keep reliving our night for over a decade! I think some of them were written quite late into the open bar, so should give us a good laugh!”

The groom’s grandmother baked the three-tiered wedding cake, complete with sugar roses, and a friend of the bride’s baked 80 cupcakes, “Which all disappeared rather fast once the booze kicked in!” says Vivienne.

Why did you choose this location for your wedding? We wanted a relaxed romantic day with lots of personal details and the hardest bit was finding the venue. We wanted something “old world” but not too formal, and many of the places we saw with a bit of history involved getting married in dark wood-paneled rooms with tiny windows. Finally we stumbled upon Northbrook Park which had a beautiful bright room with huge windows from end to end, and best of all for a winter wedding, a massive roaring fire!

Are there any moments that really stand out? The most nerve wracking moment (other than waiting to walk down the aisle) was definitely our first dance. We had a choreographed our first dance, and we snuck out between the courses of the meal to have a quick rehearsal, we were so nervous about it. In the end I felt like a princess on the dance floor and it was a really special moment when he lifted me at the end!

Is there anything else that helps tell the story of the day?We met with four or five photographers and none of them felt right. Then we met Aneta, and though she was over our initial budget, we fell in love with her photos, and more importantly with her! You have to really like your photographer – after all they experience every moment right there with you! It was totally worth spending extra in the end. After all, the only part of your wedding you will have left in the long term is the memories and the photos, and ours are just stunning.

All in all, a dream day, where I got to marry the best man I have ever met. I don’t think either of us would change a thing.